Hird to start appeal process next week

Essendon coach James Hird will start his Federal Court appeal on Thursday with an application to speed up the process.

It could come three days after Hird is sacked from the AFL club.

The Essendon board is set to meet on Monday to decide his future.

Hird and the Bombers are at odds after he announced he was pushing forward with an appeal against the September 19 Federal Court verdict.

Justice John Middleton ruled against Hird and Essendon, who took ASADA to court over the anti-doping body's joint investigation into the club.

Essendon have decided to accept the ruling.

Hird's legal team is starting the appeal on Thursday morning with an application for an expedited hearing.

Justice Susan Kenny will hear the application.

Hird hopes the appeal can be heard by the end of this month.

He has also said he will not try to stop ASADA from issuing amended show-cause notices to 34 current and former Essendon players.

ASADA plans to wait until the 21-day appeal period ends on October 10 before deciding what to do next.

The anti-doping body is taking legal advice over issuing the show-cause notices, given Hird is appealing.